Daily Kos claims a victim

Waterboarding has at last claimed a victim. Rachel Marsden, a Toronto Sun columnist, was fired last week over a column she wrote on the topic in the paper's November 5th edition. (By sheer coincidence, the same day that the American Thinkercovered the topic.)

Marsden, who has established a reputation for being smart, funny, and pointed over the past two years (For a hint as to her customary tone, just take a look at her pictures. This woman writes exactly the way she looks), took a stance identical to virtually all the rest of nonleftist media: that waterboarding is not a form of torture, and under compelling circumstances may well be called for. She gave her argument a nice personal touch by pointing out that, in light of her own experience, swimming-team competitors undergo treatment similar to waterboarding on a regular basis - without ever having to be strapped down, either.

This proved unacceptable to the usual suspects. According to Marsden's account, she was targeted by an e-mail campaign organized by that bastion of tolerance and free thought, Daily Kos. Her editors at the Sun (although Marsden herself is discreet, these likely would be Glenn Garnett, editor-in-chief, and Mike Burke-Gaffney, managing editor) collapsed faster than Khalid Sheik Muhhamed, and showed her the door immediately, all without a drop of water touching their brows. Marsden now lacks a platform, and that's a serious loss.

There's something very Canadian about an editor flopping over as soon as the first criticism comes through the window. But the effects are universal. A capitulation like this encourages Kos and the rest of the fringe leftists. Like the Imus surrender, it enables them to believe they can continue getting away with it, inevitably leading to further such incidents which waste the time of people with much better things to do.

An editor's duty to protect his writers from this style of harassment -- Garnett and Burke-Gaffney let their columnist down, and in the process did an injustice to us all.

Here's hoping that Rachel finds a new slot soon. Canada needs her.

Waterboarding has at last claimed a victim. Rachel Marsden, a Toronto Sun columnist, was fired last week over a column she wrote on the topic in the paper's November 5th edition. (By sheer coincidence, the same day that the American Thinkercovered the topic.)

Marsden, who has established a reputation for being smart, funny, and pointed over the past two years (For a hint as to her customary tone, just take a look at her pictures. This woman writes exactly the way she looks), took a stance identical to virtually all the rest of nonleftist media: that waterboarding is not a form of torture, and under compelling circumstances may well be called for. She gave her argument a nice personal touch by pointing out that, in light of her own experience, swimming-team competitors undergo treatment similar to waterboarding on a regular basis - without ever having to be strapped down, either.

This proved unacceptable to the usual suspects. According to Marsden's account, she was targeted by an e-mail campaign organized by that bastion of tolerance and free thought, Daily Kos. Her editors at the Sun (although Marsden herself is discreet, these likely would be Glenn Garnett, editor-in-chief, and Mike Burke-Gaffney, managing editor) collapsed faster than Khalid Sheik Muhhamed, and showed her the door immediately, all without a drop of water touching their brows. Marsden now lacks a platform, and that's a serious loss.

There's something very Canadian about an editor flopping over as soon as the first criticism comes through the window. But the effects are universal. A capitulation like this encourages Kos and the rest of the fringe leftists. Like the Imus surrender, it enables them to believe they can continue getting away with it, inevitably leading to further such incidents which waste the time of people with much better things to do.

An editor's duty to protect his writers from this style of harassment -- Garnett and Burke-Gaffney let their columnist down, and in the process did an injustice to us all.